The self-proclaimed righteous warriors followed the directions given by the pickpocket child and headed towards the place where the "dangerous adults" resided.
Even though Hunan was the location of Shaolin Temple, the temple couldn’t possibly intervene in every matter of the secular world.
Where there is a city, naturally there are shady areas. And the place they stepped into was exactly that—a shadowy underworld.
But even in this shadow, given its proximity to Shaolin Temple, one could assume that they wouldn't cross too many lines. With that thought in mind, Seojun scanned the alley.
"Wow, these back alleys aren’t bad. Pretty livable, right, Geum-ssi?"
"Yeah, if you live like this, you’re practically living in luxury."
"Right? Sister, from the perspective of us former alley rats, this is a top-notch back alley."
"Uh… I see."
It seemed that Namgung Sua’s internal training wasn’t yet strong enough to join the ‘world’s greatest nonsense competition’ alongside Geum Chunbong and Lee Seojun.
Seojun nodded slightly and confidently strode deeper into the alley.
"Hmm."
He could feel eyes on them from all directions.
Most of the attention was on Namgung Sua.
After all, when would these people ever have the chance to witness such an impressive mountain peak in person?
Namgung Sua’s chest was truly a marvel of nature, enough to open even a blind man’s eyes.
"Scat…!"
At Seojun’s sharp command, the prying gazes quickly scattered.
"Oh, thank you, young master."
"No problem."
Watching them, Chunbong instinctively patted her own chest.
Pat, pat.
Her eyebrows twitched.
"Stop messing around and let’s go."
"Yes, ma’am."
Picking up the visibly irritated Chunbong, Seojun headed deeper into the alley.
With his short but intense back-alley experience, Seojun could tell.
There’s bound to be something up ahead.
Following his gut instinct, he pressed on, and sure enough, something awaited them.
"This…."
Namgung Sua frowned at the sight of bloodstains in the alley.
Upon discovering a body, she quickly approached and groaned when she saw the sunken chest.
"It’s someone skilled in palm and fist techniques. The force is clear but tyrannical. Given the high level of skill, it seems…."
"Seems what?"
"I’m not sure."
Seojun scratched his head.
"Then what’s the point of saying it?"
"It looks like Shaolin… but Shaolin’s martial arts are powerful yet not tyrannical."
"Then it’s probably Shaolin."
This time, Namgung Sua tilted her head, puzzled.
Seojun took this chance to impart some life wisdom to her.
"The first guess is usually right. If you change your answer, you're more likely to get it wrong."
That was certainly the case when taking exams.
"I see."
"Anyway, let’s follow the trail."
Seojun half-closed his eyes and extended his martial senses.
His unnervingly sharp senses picked up traces of a disturbed energy flow.
"Got it. It’s over there."
"Huh?"
"The energy’s all messed up."
"Uh…?"
Pat, pat. Chunbong patted Namgung Sua’s back.
"That’s just how he is. He’s usually right, so just follow him."
"I see…"
Namgung Sua silently thought to herself that it would take some time to fully adapt to these two.
Seojun walked along the faint red trail.
The decor around him consisted of heads, torsos, and other organs.
"Chunbong, let’s eat something light for dinner. My stomach doesn’t feel so good."
"Really? You, of all people, can’t handle this?"
I, Lee Seojun, am a man of sensitive emotions.
Seojun chuckled and sensed something heavy and intense at the edge of his martial perception.
"Found the culprit…!"
He scooped up Chunbong and dashed forward… before halting abruptly.
"Uh… why’d you stop?"
"Me too."
"You shouldn’t pick up women so recklessly…."
Namgung Sua stood there with her arms outstretched, waiting to be lifted.
"Hmmm…."
After a moment of hesitation, Seojun decided to support her by the butt and lifted her up.
"Kyaa!"
"…."
The left side of Seojun’s face burned, as if it were being pierced by Chunbong’s sharp gaze.
"Having fun? Hmm?"
"I’m not enjoying this…."
It was soft and squishy, but how was he supposed to feel about this?
"It’s… heavy."
"That’s mean."
"Oops."
Ignoring the warmth and sensation on his right side, Seojun employed the Hwangryongdoha technique and leapt forward.
Swish!
As he dashed ahead, something glowing appeared in the distance.
Seojun quickly unleashed his plum blossom technique, lightly leaping into the air before tossing Chunbong and Namgung Sua into a triangular formation as they landed.
Tap.
The glowing figure, now surrounded, warily eyed them.
"Agh…!"
Seojun shielded his eyes.
"It’s too bright! It’s some kind of spell…!"
"Stop being dramatic, oppa. It’s just a bald guy."
"What?"
Seojun lowered his hand from his eyes and got a proper look at the glowing figure.
A smooth, shiny head and a hulking physique.
It was just a muscular, bald man.
Judging by his robes, he seemed to be a monk, but Seojun had no idea if his robes were from Shaolin or not.
"Why have you rushed after this humble monk, sirs?"
Namgung Sua, who had been studying the bald man closely, stepped forward.
"We followed the trail of a gruesome corpse, unaware that a disciple of Shaolin had intervened."
"Amitabha. Though the Buddha grants mercy to all living beings, this humble monk could not ignore the actions of such demons."
The bald man clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow.
It seemed the back-alley folks had crossed a line.
Judging from his instincts, Seojun determined that this bald man was not an evil person. With that conclusion in mind, Seojun made a small request.
"Excuse me, monk?"
"What is it?"
"My little sister has always wanted to try something…"
"What might that be? If it is within my humble abilities, I will help."
Seojun, noticing that Namgung Sua seemed a bit hesitant, nodded reassuringly.
Judging by the monk’s level, he was just about peak-stage. Even if Seojun was wrong, he could easily handle him.
"Chunbong, didn’t you say you wanted to try smacking a bald head? Go ahead."
"Sweet."
Seojun lifted Chunbong to match the monk’s eye level.
"Would it be okay if my sister touched your head?"
"Of course."
The kind monk even offered up his head for her.
"Wow."
Tap, tap. Chunbong eagerly patted the monk’s shiny head, her eyes lighting up.
"Hey, this is amazing. You should try it too."
"Tsk, tsk. Chunbong, oppa doesn’t do things like that."
"What the hell, so it’s okay for me?"
"You’re young, so it’s fine."
"Are you trying to die, you bastard?"
"Aaaaah!"
As Seojun got smacked around, the monk smiled warmly.
"You two are a close pair of siblings. I am Hyewoon. May I ask your name, sir?"
"Sure. This here is Chunbong. The one and only Geum Chunbong. Make sure to remember it."
"Geum Chunbong…? What does that mean?"
Hyewoon was puzzled. It didn’t seem like a menacing title like ‘the greatest ghost of the world’ ( Cheonhajeilgwi ), but he couldn’t figure it out.
"Oh, you don’t know? It means the cutest in the world. It’s good to know."
"Ah, I see. I have once again been enlightened today."
"Right? Your eyes have been opened! Ow…! What are you doing…?"
"Doesn’t this embarrass you at all!?"
"What’s there to be embarrassed about…! I’m proud!"
Rubbing his pinched cheek, Seojun puffed out his chest confidently.
Chunbong gave him a look of pity but secretly marveled at the feel of his cheek.
‘No wonder he keeps touching my cheeks. They feel great.’
She’d have to keep using them.
After Seojun introduced himself, Namgung Sua looked at him expectantly. It seemed she wanted to be introduced as well, but Seojun was a bit stumped.
The best breasts in the world ? That sounded way too crazy.
In the end, Seojun opted for a simple introduction.
"This is Namgung Sua. You know Namgung, right?"
"Of course. How could I claim to be part of the martial world without knowing the ruler of Anhui? Naturally, I am also familiar with this young master."
"Huh? Me?"
"The winner of the Huashan tournament, Gwangarang . Your name has become quite famous lately."
"Oh…"
So that nickname had already spread all the way to Hunan?
What an unfortunate situation.
It hadn’t even been that long since the tournament ended, yet the rumors had already traveled this far. It was ridiculous.
Clicking his tongue, Seojun set Chunbong down on the ground.
"Anyway, since we’ve met, do you happen to know where the Hao Clan is?"
"I will guide you."
"Oh."
They had acquired a bald navigation system.
After guiding them to the Hao Clan, Hyewoon clasped his hands and bowed slightly.
"I hope we meet again someday."
"Let’s meet when I visit Shaolin."
"Come to think of it, the Yongbong Meeting is coming up soon. Since it’s being held at Shaolin, perhaps we’ll see each other then."
The Yongbong Meeting? Isn’t that for kids?
I, Lee Seojun, a peak master, have no intention of joining a children’s event.
With a smirk, Seojun waved.
"Sure."
"Before I leave, I must give you a word of caution."
"A caution?"
"Be careful. It seems that demons have infiltrated Hunan."
Demons had come to Hunan?
Seojun blinked, and Hyewoon nodded.
"I’m not certain if they are from the Demon Sect, but traces of demonic techniques have been found. Shaolin is tracking them, but please stay on guard in the meantime."
With those words, Hyewoon calmly departed.
Demons, huh? That sounds interesting.
Considering I was even called the seed of the Demon Lord, learning some demonic techniques might not be a bad idea.
Well, that’s a thought for another time. Right now, Seojun had something else on his mind.
Watching Hyewoon’s shiny head retreat, Seojun turned to Namgung Sua.
"By the way, sister, are Shaolin monks even allowed to kill people? Isn’t that against their rules?"
"Aside from a few exceptions, no, they’re not allowed to kill."
"I see."
Just as I thought.
So, I guess those bodies are a little secret between us and Hyewoon.
Knowing that most back-alley types usually deserved a good beating, Seojun nodded and let it slide.
And finally, the Hao Clan.
Looking up at the grand building before him, Seojun scratched his chin.
‘Meeting the branch head might not be so easy.’
Of course, meeting a lower-ranking member wouldn’t be a big deal, but it felt like the branch head would be more knowledgeable about the information regarding spiritual herbs.
As someone from the modern world, Seojun knew exactly how to handle situations like this.
With bold strides, Seojun stood at the entrance and took a deep breath.
"Bring me your leader!"
His voice, imbued with internal energy, echoed through the air.
Namgung Sua blinked in surprise as Chunbong patted her back.
"You’ll get used to him. He’s always like this."
"How wonderful…"
"What was that?"
This person seemed a little strange too.
Chunbong quickly distanced herself from Namgung Sua.